


Shattered

by BeautifulCreature



Series: The Journey of Rejects [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:25:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7213285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifulCreature/pseuds/BeautifulCreature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just some fluffy care-taking with an emotional plot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> I'm honestly in love with this pair -- they seem so adorable to me. I wrote this particular story a while ago for a friend and decided to post it.

Being in a steady romantic relationship with one of the most well-known scientists brought many pros and cons. For one, the typical day was spent in the lab together, while nights, one isolated while the other perfected their craft. Aria Winters was used to this schedule. In all of her twenty-nine years of life, she had isolated herself from the world around her. She happened to quite like the isolation.

Although she had craved that isolation, on particular days, she had craved the exact opposite.

For three days she hadn’t made an effort to venture into the lab. It had begun with day one. Aria had felt run down and lied in her bed all day. By the third day, she felt as if an eighteen wheeler truck had hit her.

Later during that night, the bed moved downward, signifying that someone had sat down on the opposite side of the bed. A gentle hand touched her arm as a soft voice rang through her ears.

“Aria,”

She turned on to her back, ocean blue eyes traveling over to the doctor, though they were rimmed with a bright red and glazed with a dreariness. “It’s alright…” Aria rasped, moving to grab his hand.

Bruce moved his hand out of hers, placing it on her warm forehead, “You have a fever,” He murmured.

“I’m fine, honey,” She said, ducking her head down to her chest for a few quiet coughs.

“I was beginning to wonder why you hadn’t come to the lab.” He said.

“I wanted to come… but I couldn’t get myself to.”

“It’s alright. I understand.” He soothed as her bottom lip trembled.

“I’m sorry…” A few stray tears slipped down her face.

Bruce’s eyes softened, “Don’t cry,”

Aria shifted her position so that her leg was touching his. She brought a hand to her face, wiping away the tears. “I-I don’t feel well…” She glanced down at her legs.

“I can tell,” He agreed.

 She remained still for a moment, dazed expression crossing her face. Aria brought her hand up to her face as her lips parted. She pinched her nostrils shut, jerking forward with a silently stifled sneeze. A quiet gasp released from between her lips and she jerked forward with a second sneeze. She gave a short relieved sigh, releasing her nose. “Sorry, excuse me…” Aria mumbled; a slight blush to her cheeks.

“Bless you,” He said.

Aria gave a slight nod.

He shifted to move closer to her, but she stopped him quickly. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“I don’t want to get you sick.” Aria said.

“You won’t,” Bruce assured.

“But…” She trailed off.

“Aria, trust me.”

She nodded, closing her eyes.

He moved downward into a laying position, pulling her closer to him. “Go to sleep,”

Aria snuggled into his chest, giving a soft sigh of contentment. After some time (she didn’t keep track), she drifted off to sleep, holding on to what was her lifeline.

***

Four hours later, Aria had begun to stir. A frown creased on her face as her black hair stuck to the beads of sweat on her forehead. She gripped on to Bruce’s arm tightly, a whimper releasing from her. He gently shook her shoulder, calling her name. “Aria,” She only gripped tighter, “Aria, wake up,” He shook her should again, attempting to rid her of the nightmare wreaking havoc on her mind.

She bolted upright, gasping for air. In a matter of seconds her breath caught in her throat, causing her to cough and splutter. The coughs were directed down into her lap. Bruce sat up, holding her shoulder in place while he used his other hand to rub her back in circular motions.

“Shh…” He soothed, “It’s alright,”

Minutes later, Aria inhaled a deep breath, finally getting the coughing under control. She placed her head down in her lap, closing her eyes. “I’m sorry,” She rasped out.

 “No… Don’t apologize,”

“Did I wake you?” Aria questioned, leaning back on the pillows.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” He informed.

“Oh…”

“Are you alright?” The doctor asked after a moment.

Aria gave a slight nod, “Yeah.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” She had known what he meant.

“Your nightmare,” He clarified.

“No…” Aria trailed off, “I’m used to having them.” Bruce nodded. “ _Hgnxxt!”_ She pinched off a sneeze, giving a relieved sigh afterward.

“Bless you,”

Aria nodded in return. “Thanks,” She rubbed at her pink nostrils with a quiet—yet liquid—sniffle.

“Do you want a tissue?” He asked, gesturing towards the box on the side dresser.

Aria mumbled her response, “I guess so…”

He reached over, grabbing two tissues out of the box, “Here,” He said, handing them to her.

She took the tissues, wiping at her nose.

“When did you begin to feel sick?” Bruce questioned, brushing a hand through her black hair.

“Few days ago,” She gave a light cough.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I know you’re busy and I didn’t want to bother you…” She gazed down at her hands.

“You could never bother me.”

“But… I know you’re happy in the lab because you’re always in there and the last thing you need is me whining my ass off…” Aria explained.

 “I’m happy around you, too,” He assured, “So is the Other Guy.”

“Why?” She asked softly, turning to look at him.

“Because I love you,” He said, “You should’ve told me.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“You’ve dealt with this for three days now on you own already?” Aria nodded. “You should’ve told me…” Bruce repeated.

“I know. I’m sorry…”

“I’m not upset,” He said, “I care about you. I want you to tell me when something’s wrong, no matter what it is.”

“Alright,” She agreed.

“How do you feel now?”

“Pretty bad,” She admitted.

He placed the back of his hand against her forehead, “You feel a bit warmer than before.” A slight frown crossed his face.

Aria turned, bringing her hand up to cup around her pink nose, “ _Huh-Tish!_ ” She inhaled a sharp breath, keeping her hand in place, “ _Huh-Tshh!_ ”

He watched her back jerk forward with the quiet sneezes, “Bless you,”

She remained turned, “ _Huh-Tish!_ … _Huh-Tissh!_ ”

“Bless you, again.”

Aria rubbed her nose with a sniffle, turning back to face him. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine,” He assured.

“…I must look horrible right now, don’t I?”

“Not exactly,” Bruce replied.

“What do you mean?”

“You look as if you don’t feel well, but you’re still beautiful.”

Aria’s pale cheeks flushed, “You mean that?”

“Of course I do.”

“You’re so sweet to me…” Aria mumbled, “I can’t possibly begin to understand why.”

“You deserve it,” He said.

Aria was unsure of how to respond.

“The instinct to care for another being you possess is more than I have seen on any other person.”

“But I overstep the line,” She countered, “begin to care too much. Others don’t appreciate that.”

“There’s no such thing,” He declined gently.

“Yes, there is,” She said, “They don’t like it and walk away. One of my only reasons for being here is attempting to care and help others. But all I do is cause more damage than what was already present. Without that, what will my reason for belonging here?” She asked.

“You’ll find out your reason, though it may take some time.”

“It’s been twenty-nine fucking years!” Aria exclaimed, her voice cracking.

“As I said, it may take some time.”

“I continue searching for a reason, but can’t find one,” She began to explain, “On nights when I would become hopeless, I turned to that reason, but that space is empty. When it becomes tough to breathe, I stop for a few seconds, relishing the freedom of not having to fight anymore. But I continue to fight because I’d be even more of a failure if I gave up. My only reign would be that of a failure who couldn’t deal with themselves anymore because the world became too much.” A subtle flash of black rushed through her eyes as tears began streaming down her face.

“You’re not a failure,” He said.

“I don’t want to be a failure…” Aria let out a strained cry, “I don’t know how to stay here any longer…” She placed her head in her hands, body shaking with the sudden sobs.

Bruce reached over, loving Aria’s head out of her hands before pulling her into a hug. “It’s alright…”

 She clung to him, crying into his shoulder, “I-I’m s-sorry…” She wailed out.

“For what?”

“For not being good enough, not being everything that you need.”

“You are everything I could ever want or need.”

“I’m sorry,” She only repeated.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Aria only repeated the words a few more times before beginning to take labored breaths.

“Shh… breathe slowly,”

She attempted before succumbing to the inevitable.

“Breathe,”

Aria stopped breathing for a couple seconds before forcing the air back in.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s becoming harder to breathe…” She admitted, panic laced within her voice.

“Keep breathing, please keep breathing.” He nearly begged.

“I don’t want to keep going on…”

“You have to,”

“Why?” The question was breathless.

“I love you and need you around.” He said.

“It’d be great if you showed me that more than one night of the week.” Aria snapped, voice cracking once again. A frown crossed Bruce’s face. “I’m sorry…” She pulled away from him, pushing herself to the edge of the bed.

He reached out a hand to touch her, but she stopped him.

“Don’t touch me,”

He retracted his hand, “Why?”

“I don’t deserve it,” She murmured.

 “Yes, you do.”

“In the scarce time we have alone together, I ruin it somehow. I manage to ruin something every time.”

“You don’t ruin anything.”

“Yes, I do…” Aria rasped.

Bruce reached his hand out again, gently touching her arm, “You need to continue to fight, Aria.”

“It’s becoming stronger…”

“I know,”

“I can’t do this anymore,” She turned on to her back, gazing over at him.

“Yes, you can,”

Aria let out a low whimper, curling up against him again. “… I miss this,” She mumbles after a moment of silence.

“I do, too,” He agreed.

“Tony hates it when I attempt to show you any love.”

“He’ll have to learn how to live with it.”

“But he’s your lab partner most of the time, unless he’s working on his own, or you are.” She said, “I don’t want to disrupt your progress.”

“The major work happens at night.” He said.

“I’d still be a bother,”

The doctor rubbed her back gently but stopped as Aria tensed suddenly. “What’s wrong?”

She inhaled a sharp breath, bringing her wrist up to press against her nose. “ _Huh-Tish!_ ” Her body jerked against his.

“Bless you,” He murmured.

Aria nodded, closing her eyes.

“Try to get some rest,” Bruce said.

“Mm…” Aria hummed, “You too,”

After almost an hour later, the both of them were sound asleep. It had turned out to be one of the best nights they had for months.


End file.
